Dental compact or toothbrush kit



I June 4, 1957 E. E. SMITH EIAL 2,794,442

DENTAL COMPACT 0R TOOTHBRUSH KIT Filed July 11. 1955 AITO R N EYS United States Patent DENTAL COMPACT 0R TOOTHBRUSH KIT Elizabeth E. Smith and Will 0. Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application July 11, 1955, Serial No. 521,198

3 Claims. (Cl. 132-84) This invention relates to a toothbrush kit or dental compact.

This invention is an improvement over the toothbrush kit shown and described in our prior patents such as Patent No. 2,476,686.

The object of the invention is to provide a toothbrush kit which is constructed so that the toothbrush will be held immobile in its various adjusted positions, and wherein the brush can be readily moved into engagement with the dentrifice in the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dental compact which is adapted to be folded so that it occupies a minimum amount of space when it is not being used, and wherein the compact includes a compartment or container for holding a quantity of dentrifice, and whereby there is provided a toothbrush which can be readily moved into engagement with the dentrifice when the dentrifice is to be placed on the toothbrush bristles, and whereby the brush can be readily moved to an extended position when the teeth are to be brushed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dental compact which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dental compact, showing the parts in open position and with the toothbrush extended.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the dental compact, and showing an intermediate position of the toothbrush.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the compact, showing the parts in closed position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the parts separated.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the collar shifted.

Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating the collar, casing, clip, and a portion of the toothbrush handle.

Figure 8 is an end elevational view illustrating the collar in closed position.

Figure 9 is an end elevational view illustrating the collar in open position, and with the handle of the toothbrush shown in section.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the clip.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a housing which includes a substantially cylindrical side Wall 11. An end wall 12 closes one end of the housing 10, while the other end of the housing 10 is open. Projecting inwardly from the end wall 12 and secured thereto or formed integral therewith is a cylindrical flange 14 which coacts with the side wall 11 of the housing 10 to define a recess 15. The wall 11 of the 7, 2,794,442 Patented June 4, 1957 housing 10 is further provided with an elongated cutout 16, and there is provided in the wall 11 an arcuate groove or channel 17 for a purpose to be later described.

There is further provided a hollow casing 18 which has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the casing 18 includes a curved side section 19 which is provided with a longitudinally extending cutout that includes an enlarged portion 20 and a smaller portion 21. A curved tongue or rib 22 extends outwardly from the section 19 of the casing 18, and the tongue 22 is adapted to travel or ride in the groove 17.

A clip or bracket 23 is provided with notches 24, Figure 10, and a toothbrush 25 includes a handle 26 which is provided with lugs 27 that are detachably mounted in the notches 24 in the clip 23. The clip 23 is slidably mounted in a channel or trackway 28 which is defined by a wall portion 29 and the adjacent parts of the casing. The

toothbrush 25 is provided with the usual bristles 30 for engagement with a persons teeth.

Slidably connected to the casing 18 is a container or compartment 31 which includes a side wall portion 32 and end wall portions 33 and 34. A finger engaging lug 35 extends upwardly from the Wall portion 34, whereby the finger of a person can be arranged in engagement with the lug 35 when the container 31 is to be moved to the open position shown in Figure 2 or to the closed position shown in Figures 3 and 4.

There is further provided a collar 36 which is rotatably mounted on an end of the casing 18, and the collar 36 includes a cylindrical portion 37 and an end portion 38. The cylindrical portion 37 of the collar 36 is provided with a split 39, and the end portion 38 is provided with a cutout or arcuate slit 40. The collar 36 may be provided with exteriorly arranged knurling or roughened surfaces 41 so as to facilitate the manual rotation of the collar 36.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a dental compact which is an improvement over the dental compact shown in our prior patents such as prior Patent No. 2,476,686. In use, the container 31 may be filled with powder or other dentrifice or tooth cleaning composition, and the parts may be assembled as shown in the drawings. When the dentrifice is to be arranged on the bristles 30 of the toothbrush 25, the finger can be arranged in engagement with the lug 35 to extend the container 31 to the position shown in Figure 2. Then, the brush 25 can be pivoted about an axis extending through the lugs 27 so that the bristles 40 can be moved into engagement with the dentrifice in the container 31. After a sufficient quantity of dentrifice has been picked up by the bristles 30, the container 31 can be moved back to its position within the casing 18 as shown in Figure 4. The clip 23 is slidably mounted in the chan nel 28. The brush clip rides on the cover of the dentrifice container. To remove the brush as when a new brush is to be inserted, the brush clip is brought back far enough for clearance to permit removal of the brush. The clip remains in slidable position at all times since it can not pass the dentrifice container lug unless the drawer is pulled to open position. If desired, the toothbrush 25 can be moved to the extended position shown in Figure 1 after the dentrifice has been arranged on the bristles 30 so that the teeth can be readily brushed. Thus, when the brush 25 is being moved to the position shown in Figure 1, the collar 36 is rotated so that its slot 39 registers with the slot 21 in the casing 18. Then, after the brush 25 has been moved to its extended position, the collar 36 is rotated so that the slot 39 in the collar moves out of registry with the slot 21 whereby the handle 26 of the toothbrush will project through the cutout 40 in the collar and the toothbrush will thus be locked in its extended position. Due to the provision of the curved track 17 and curved r 3 a Y a 4 a tongue'22, the'housing'1'0 will'move into closing relation selective engagement with the handle of the toothbrush, with respeet' fo'flie'cfis'ifi'g'Is'wlienflieii'flshife fiiov'ff0 uiefebern anenlsfgedcutout in 's'iiti easi'n' communicatthe closed position, shown in Figure 3. Thus, by simply ing with an elongated cutout of smaller size, said split manually rotating these rparts the trackway will insure collar including a cylindrical portion provided with a that'when; opienthe cufout 16in the Housing iIOi'egiSEf'S 5 slot mounted for movement into and out of registry with with the cutout20' inth'e 'cas'ingf ISsothat 'tlfecont'ainr' the cutout in said casing, said split collar further includ- 31 canbe readily, moved to its openpositiontoipermitthe ing an end portion provided with an arcuate slit for the toothbrush. topicku'p tooth powder: "-I'HeT'ecess I5' 're- -projection therethrough of-"a p rtion of the toothbrush ceives the endfof thecasin ls when the deviceisin'clds'd handle whereby when-theslotinthe collar moves out of position." j n 110 registry"with'the ciitolit'in theca'sin'g'and with the handle h e prsefifi-nvntlonifhe fif P'P' of the toothbrush pi'ojecting' thrbughtlie slit in the must, intoth'e'entire areaofth'e container 311 the toothbrush will beloeked in its extended position.

;We clann: Md e 7 2. The s tr ucture as d fine d in claim 1, wherein said L 3 dnta1 compiacti an l homing lficludfPg f clip is provided with notelies, and lii'g's on said toothbrush cylindrical side wallprovided with an elongated eutout'w for engagement with Said notches and a 3 The Structure as d fi i l i 1, and f h the other end ofv saidhousingb'eingbpen,aETrEHIar'flange extending: inwardly 'fiom said endwall' and'eeactingwith said side wa'lli'to define re es therefieingjaeurved'gfeove arranged in the sidewall 'of'said housingfintrfiiediafefhe '20 ends thereofg-a casing movably mounted insaidhdifsiiig and including a curved sid'e, section previdedwitn an arcuate tongue for travelin'tlie groove'in 's'aidhoiis'iifg,

including a container for holding dentrifice slidably mounted in said casiifg; said container including aside wall having an opening therein, and end walls extending upwardly from the side Wall "of" said container-, and a fin'g'cr iiga'gih'g liig en s'aideentainer.

said casingi'further including asection 'co'a'cting With a kefefelies citeil iiithe file'of this patent portion ojf'saidhousing to define'a trackw'ay, a'clip slid- 25 UNITED-STATES PATENTS ably mounted'insaicitrackway, a toothbrush includinga V I v p A v v handle detachably and pivotally' connected to said clip, 25993660 B'cuhca-ult y 7, 6

and a split collar rotata'bly connected to said casing for 2,675,005 Smith et a1 "Apr. 13, 1954 

